Navigation Course
Wilderness Navigation
Olympia's Wilderness Navigation course includes instruction in maps, compass, coordinate systems, terrain recognition, route planning and limited discussion on GPS/electronic navigation. It includes two in-person lectures, an optional in-person workshop, a day-long field trip, and a final online test. You will earn the Basic Navigation badge.
Contacts
- Mon, Apr 20, 2026 - Fri, May 8, 2026
- Committee: Olympia Navigation Committee
- Members: $100.00 Guests: $150.00
- Availability: 57 (70 capacity)
- Cancellation & Refund Policy
The Olympia Wilderness Navigation Course has five activities: two in-person lectures, an in-person workshop, a field trip and an on-line final examination. You must complete the two lectures, the field trip and the final examination to graduate the course. The in-person workshop is optional. In the interest of keeping the group size down, we run the field trip two days. You only need to register for one. The dates of the activities are listed below.
If you are registered for either the Olympia Branch Alpine Scrambling Course or Basic Climbing Course a discount for the Navigation Course is available. Your instructors will provide the discount code.
Two (2) in-person lectures:
- Monday, April 20, 2026
- Thursday, April 23, 2026
Optional Workshop:
- Tuesday, April 28, 2026
In-person Field Trip:
- Saturday, May 2, 2026 OR
- Sunday, May 3, 2026
- Register for only one.
Online test:
Monday, May 4, 2026 to Friday, May 8, 2026 (5PM)
The lectures will be from 6:00 to 9:00 pm at the Olympia Friends Meeting House, 3201 Boston Harbor Rd., NE, Olympia.
The optional workshop will be at Squaxin Park from 5:30 to 7:30 - the exact meet location is TBD and will be announced during the lectures.
The field trip will be at the Kennedy Creek Natural Preserve area off of Old Olympic Highway (WGS84, UTM Coordinates: 10T 493577 5215400).
How to sign up for the course
- If applicable, obtain the discount code.
- Register for this Wilderness Navigation course and pay the fee.
- Register for the lectures.
- Register for the Workshop (if you wish).
- Register for one of the In-person Field Trip dates.
- Link to final test will be sent to students who have attended all lectures and the field trip.
What to do next
- Obtain the equipment listed in the Required Equipment tab below. Since you may have to order these on-line, do not delay. You have to have these items in time for use during the lectures.
- Review the material in the Course Materials tab below.
- Start reading the “Wilderness Navigation” book.
Badges
- Upon successful completion of this course you will earn the Basic Navigation Badge. The Basic Navigation badge is required for Alpine Scrambling and Climbing course completion. The Basic Navigation badge is valid for 3 years. It can be renewed by instructing at one of the navigation field trips.
Badges you will earn:
Basic Navigation Course
| Course Activity | Date | Availability | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| (In Person style) Olympia Navigation Lecture # 1 | |||
| Olympia Friends Meeting House |
Mon, Apr 20, 2026
Registration closes Apr 19
|
48
participants
9 instructors
|
|
| (In Person style) Olympia Navigation Lecture # 2 | |||
| Olympia Friends Meeting House |
Thu, Apr 23, 2026
Registration closes Apr 21
|
47
participants
9 instructors
|
|
| In-person Workshop | |||
| Squaxin Park |
Tue, Apr 28, 2026
Registration closes Apr 26
|
6
participants
|
|
| Olympia Navigation Field Trip | |||
| Kennedy Creek |
Sat, May 2, 2026
Registration closes Apr 30
|
24
participants
12 instructors
|
|
| Kennedy Creek |
Sun, May 3, 2026
Registration closes May 1
|
33
participants
7 instructors
|
|
Besides the 10 essentials for the field trip, this course requires the following:
- Book. “Wilderness Navigation,” 4th edition, by Burns and Burns
- Compass. You’ll need to have an appropriate compass before the lectures in April. This blog entry has useful advice. See below for more details.
Your compass MUST have the following features:
- Adjustable declination. Some compasses are sold with “declination scale,” which means the declination is NOT adjustable. Avoid models with “tool-free adjustment.” In practice, these are very hard to adjust.
- A transparent, rectangular base plate. You’ll need the transparency and the straight edges for plotting and triangulating on the map. Avoid models with small, oval, or tinted baseplates.
- Degrees in 2-degree increments and marked from 0 to 360°. You’ll need the accuracy of the 2‑degree increments. Avoid compasses called “quadrant,” that are marked 0-90° four times around the bezel.
- Meridian lines. These lines are marked inside the rotating dial and are parallel with the north-south line.
Examples of useful models:
- Suunto M-2 Series, Models: NH USGS, 360/IN/D/NH and G UGSS
- Silva Ranger 2.0
A smartphone with the Gaia and/or CalTopo GPS apps are useful for the coursework and the field day, but they are not required. Any recent smartphone has a GPS chip in it and can be used with the GPS apps, which are available for both iOS and Android. Gaia GPS Premium is available as a Mountaineers Member Benefit, at no cost for the first year. If you intend to use them at the field trips, be sure to download the app(s) before coming to the field trip and also download a map of the area because there may not be adequate cell service at the site.
A standalone GPS unit may be used instead of the Gaia and CalTopo apps combination, but you are responsible for knowing how your unit works.
| Name/Description |
|---|
| Romer 1:24000 A 1:24000 Romer that you can print, especially if you have transparencies (remember them?). |
| UTMCornerRomers.pdf Another Romer you can print. This one has several scales and a different design, which might be more useful when printed on regular paper. |
| Order Romer from Maptools.pdf Or you can order a plastic Romer from Maptools by following the link in this document. |
| UTM Coords (2025).pdf |
| Terrain Assoc (2025).pdf |
| Maps (2025).pdf |
| Introduction (2025).pdf |
| Declination and Compass (2025).pdf |
| Route Planning (2025).pdf |
| 8. Digital Route Planning (2025).pdf |
| 6.5 Navigation Techniques 2025.pdf |
| 7. Intro to GPS (2025).pdf |